2026 Opening Session
"Good morning, everyone and thank you so much for being here. I’m sure you know us by now, but I am Rachel, and this is Judith, and together with Wendy, Sam, George and Tom, we make up the UFO Head Office team.
This year feels particularly special. Not only are we back in the city where it all began over 25 years ago … but UFO is now the largest it has ever been with 127 members across 100 countries. That growth is down to you, your support, your collaboration, and the relationships you’ve built together.
Thank you as well to everyone who completed the recent Quality Control Survey. It’s very encouraging to see such strong levels of inter-trade across the network. I’d like to highlight one great example, Jetwell in China. In 2025 alone, they handled 298 shipments with 14 UFO members. And since joining in 2017, they’ve worked on over 3,000 shipments across the network, a great demonstration of what’s possible when members engage. Macarena said the photo wall in their conference room is very popular with clients, many of them stop to take a look, and UFO is always an important topic! As collaboration grows, so does the importance of maintaining high standards, and I’m pleased to say the results are extremely positive, with over 98% of feedback rated Good or Excellent.
Now, taking a step back for a moment… Freight forwarding is an industry that never stands still. It’s shaped by geopolitics, technology, and changing customer expectations, but one thing remains constant: the world keeps trading. And as long as goods are moving, freight forwarders are essential. Over the past 25 years, we’ve faced challenges, pandemics, conflicts, disruptions, but with that comes opportunity. New trade routes emerge, supply chains shift, and demand continues to grow. For independent forwarders, this presents a real advantage. While large multinationals rely on scale, you bring something different, flexibility, personal service, and local expertise. And increasingly, that’s exactly what customers are looking for.
Today, success isn’t just about moving cargo, it’s about being connected, visible, and adaptable. Digital tools from online rate platforms and shipment visibility tools to e-documents and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems, independents can now offer the same speed and transparency as much larger competitors, without losing the personal touch. The market rewards expertise. Whether you specialise in project cargo, e-commerce, perishables, or time-critical shipments, being known for something specific helps you stand out and attract higher-value business.
Global supply chains are constantly shifting, but smaller, independent companies can adapt faster than giants. When a new trade lane opens or a regulation changes, independents can react quickly, quote faster, and capture new business before larger players even respond. In short, the future belongs to forwarders who are connected, collaborative, and quick on their feet. By working together through UFO, independents can compete globally while keeping what customers love most, that personal service and attention to detail.
Let me now turn to why your membership, and active participation, in a global network is not just beneficial, it’s strategic. No single independent forwarder can have presence in every market. A network gives you vetted partners, local contacts, and trusted agents across the world, so you can bid on and execute cross-border jobs with confidence.
Networks provide resilience: when a route is disrupted, you have alternate partner routes. When volume surges, you can tap partner capacity. When regulatory or local complexities arise, you have local expertise to lean on. Being part of a network enhances your reputation. Shippers and customers often feel more confident working with a forwarder who is part of a global network, rather than a standalone operator.
Networks generate inward business: your network partners will channel work to your territory when they receive inbound shipments. That incremental business, especially from places you don't actively market, can be significant. And within a network like UFO, every relationship has the potential to generate business. When you support each other, that trust turns into repeat work, and that’s where real growth happens.
Today, I’m really pleased to introduce something new that we’re genuinely excited about … Future Freight Leaders. This is an initiative designed to bring the next generation closer into our network, to give them a stronger voice, more opportunities, and a clearer path to contribute. We’ll be inviting the younger professionals from within UFO to act as representatives, gathering ideas, feedback, and fresh perspectives, and sharing these directly with Head Office. It’s important to us that the next generation isn’t just present but truly involved in shaping where we go next. As part of this, we’re also launching our Freight Forwarding Mentorship Programme. This will pair less-experienced members with seasoned professionals, giving them the opportunity to follow real, live shipments from start to finish, learning in a hands-on, practical way. And I’d now like to show you a short video that brings this to life…
Another key part of this initiative is making our events more accessible. From next year in Xi’an, we’re offering a 40% reduced registration fee for under 30s, when attending alongside a senior colleague. If we have enough participants, we’ll also run dedicated sessions just for them, open, honest discussions around challenges, ideas, and the future of our industry, with their insights then shared back to the wider group. Alongside this, we’ll introduce virtual meetups covering topics like digital tools, AI, changing ways of working, and even “what I wish I knew starting out.” We’ll also be asking a bigger question: what should our network look like in five years’ time?
All of this is about one thing, making sure our network continues to grow, evolve, and stay relevant, with input from every generation.
Before we move on, I’d like to say a special thank you to our sponsors, Welcome Dinner Sponsor: Cargowise and Blackjack Table Sponsor: Atlantide. Please do take the time to connect with them over the next few days.
Now, onto our Annual Awards… It gives me pleasure to announce the winners of this year’s Annual Awards, calculated from the results of our recent Quality Control Survey. So that the awards are not unfair to smaller markets, results are calculated using a ratio of how highly the company scored against the number of Members they work with.
2026 International Member of the Year ALLSTA Express Spedition (Austria)
2026 Regional Award: Middle East & Africa Intraspeed Arcpro (Kenya)
2026 Regional Award: The Americas ABM Logistics (Panama)
2026 Regional Award: Asia & Pacific Apex International (Japan)
2026 Regional Award: Europe Fairplay Shipping (Denmark)
2026 President's Award Atlantide Logistics (France) & Caribbean International (Dominican Republic)
And because no London event would be complete without a little practicality… we’ve got a small gift for you all, your very own UFO umbrella!
Just a few quick practical points before we begin: We’ll take the group photo shortly, and then our 1-2-1 meetings will start at 10:10. Our live system updates in real-time, so you can arrange extra meetings on the spot. So, do keep an eye on your schedule, it may change. You’ll also hear our countdown clock, a gentle reminder when it’s time to wrap up and move on. And if you ever find yourself with a free slot, don’t worry, just head over to the ‘Spare Meeting Point’. It’s a good opportunity to meet someone new and make an unexpected connection.
Finally… I just want to say how much I’m looking forward to the next couple of evenings with you. Tonight, we have something a little special planned, I wanted to move away from the usual and give you an experience to remember, so I really hope you enjoy it. Please meet in reception at 6:50pm, the coach will leave at 7pm sharp.
Thank you again for being here. Let’s make these next few days count and continue building something really special together."
Rachel Crawford, UFO Founder
